Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Overview

The “Battlefield” name has been synonyms with the PC up until recent years. In fact even with some console iterations, fans of the series have consistently said that this is always going to be a PC game and that is it. Battlefield 1943 came out out mid-2009 and it was a raving success being a downloadble multiplayer experience. Now EA and DICE are back with their second installment of the Bad Company franchise in Battlefield Bad Company 2. Does this game make the argument DICE has been trying to make for years and get a great Battlefield game on the consoles? Read our full review to find out.

Gameplay

One of the areas that we heard EA touting from the beginning was that Bad Company 2 was going to be a great single player experience, unlike the first. In terms of story the campaign in Bad Company 2 is a run of the mill action story, where you are trying to get to a weapon of mass destruction before the Russians do. I have to admit I am one that likes a mix of both single and multiplayer experiences in my FPS’s and the story in Bad Company 2 is just a little flat.

Luckily though the gameplay is not. Even if you do not care why your killing Russians, it is still a whole lot of fun. DICE did a really good job with Bad Company 2 in mixing up the mission types and keeping the action fast and heavy. Similar to a Modern Warfare 2 you have to sometimes just sit back and make sure your still breathing because the action at times just doesn’t let up. All in all this a short but solid single player experience that may not have the story to keep you enthralled but the gameplay picks up the necessary missing pieces.

Of course with any Battlefield experience the single player is only the icing of what is otherwise a multiplayer cake. Some may think on paper that a four mode 12 on 12 FPS sounds a little lacking but boy is that far from the case. With the huge variety between the different classes, as well as the strong emphasis on team work Bad Company 2 proves to be a very different multiplayer experience then what is on the market today.

Bad Company 2 is at its best when the game is played in a team fashion, and so I would highly recommend getting used to the different classes in Bad Company 2 because each does play an important part in the success of the team. The battles in Bad Company 2 are even more epic then the original and I have to say the leveling aspect of the multiplayer will help to keep dedicated fans around for a long time to come.

Graphics

Destruction is key in the visuals department, and boy did DICE out do themselves in this department. Bad Company 2 is probably the best looking game in terms of destructible environments, it is stunning. The rest of the game runs extremely smooth and the graphical quality is top notch. You get the feeling like in a Modern Warfare 2 that you are playing a AAA title which helps all areas of the experience. Overall the visuals are a big step forward for the series and helps push this series forward.

Fun Factor

Bad Company 2 does a great job of giving the gamer options in terms of making sure that the experience is unique and exhilarating. I have to say that I was a little put off in the single player when I first began as the story was anything but engaging, luckily the gameplay really took off and I was in for the entire experience. As for the multiplayer this is one of those games that you knew was going to be strong and it hit at a time where a lot of gamers have played enough of Modern Warfare 2 that they are ready for a new experience and I think Bad Company 2 fits that void beautifully.

Overall

Bad Company 2 is a great game, there is not other way to put it. The visuals are top notch, the gameplay is solid from beginning to end, and the experience is exactly what you would want from a Battlefield game. If you a Battlefield fan or looking for your next FPS fix Bad Company 2 is a game I would highly recommend.

Joel Szerlip

The owner and editor-in-chief of Darkstation.com. I've been apart of the website since 2002 and purchased the website in 2010. Owning and running Darkstation is a dream come true. I love video games and I love writing and talking about them even more.

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